Do I need to sand before I use primer?

Question

My husband and I are going to paint our wood paneling in our basement. It has a glossy look to it. Do I need to sand before priming or can I just prime and paint? Should I use a special kind of primer?

Answer 1

Last summer I painted the paneling in my house. It had a glossy sheen, but I didn't want to spend the time to sand it. I used a product called "Kilz." On the can it specifically stated it was intended to be used on glossy surfaces (there are different types of paint under the Kilz name-brand. Anyway, I used it and once it dried, I couldn't scrape it off. Then I proceeded to apply the color coat and then whole job turned out nicely.
I would only consider sanding if the paneling was really dirty or greasy, etc. My job went very smoothly, and the results where outstanding.

good luck

Answer 2

If this is not real wood paneling then you WILL need to sand before you prime. Even with the best primer, if the paint doesn't have anything slightly rough to adhere to then it will scratch off easily and ruin your paint job.
What I do is:
-Sand entire surface with a electric palm sander with 80-100 grit surface.
-Wash down surface with a product called TSP (can be found at your local hardware store)
-Let walls dry, then apply good primer.

Answer 3

Yes- I work for a wholesale interior design company and all of the faux painters stress that sanding helps the wood accept the primer evenly. I know it's tedious, but it's well worth it!

Answer 4

Basically, yes. However, you can probably use a liquid sander that wipes on. Check the directions for hte liquid sander.

Answer 5

Always rough up the surface so it can adhear better, smooth surfaces are hard to bond too